Meter connection.



No. 866,952. PATENTED SEPT. 24, 1907.

G. W. MoKEE.

METER CONNECTION.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 25, 1907.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR:

UNITED STATES METER CONNECTION.

3 GARNET W. MCKEE, ()F DETRO IT, MICHIGAN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

, Patented Sept. 24, 1907.

Application 516.1 'Jtmi 26, 1907. Serial No. 353,907.

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that I, GARNET W. MCKEE, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State ofMichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in MeterConnections, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates more specifically to connection for gas metersand has for its primary object to make the connection secure againstleakage of gas.

In the present practice of installing gas the service and supply pipesare first put in place and the terminals are extended along the walls orceiling as circum stances may permit to near the place where the meteris supposed to be placed, the meter is then located and usuallyconnected up by means of lead pipeconnections. In making theseconnections the service pipe source, by connecting both meter terminalsto what I call a coupling head and connect the service and sup ply pipesto' the coupling head instead of to the meter.

The coupling'head thus acts as a rigid connection and distance barbetween the meter couplings and relieves them of all strain. Besides theuse of lead pipe is entirely obviated, thereby reducing not only thecost of making all connections but also doing awaywith the annoyancecaused by having the lead pipe connections stolen while the meter isremoved.

In the drawings which accompany this specification:-Figure 1 is anelevation partly in section showing a preferred form of applying myinvention; Fig. 2

is a'similar elevation embodying'a modification; Fig. 3'

is a detached sectional elevation of the offset coupling stud used withthe connection shown in Fig. 1. I

Referring to'the drawings A represents a gas meter of the kind inpresent use B and 0 being the inlet and outlet terminals thereof withwhichthe' connection is to be made. v

D is the coupling head formed at opposite ends with separate inlet ahdoutlet openings E, E to which the ends of the supply pipe F and of theservice pipe F are adapted to be connected in the usual manner.

G, G are two coupling studs secured in the ends of the headerat rightangles thereto and communicating with the inlets and outlets E, Erespectively. These coupling studs are of the known character used formaking detachable couplings and are adapted to cooperate with'theinlet'and outlet terminals of the meter which are provided withcodperating coupling members I as in the usual construction of meters.These coupling studs may be straight tubes of brass, as shown meter,there being often a considerable variation in the distance a between thecoupling members 'I, this vafriation being one of the reasons whyheretofore it has been found necessary to use lead pipe connections.

shown in Fig. 2 and consists in 'making the coupling head itselfadjustable in length by means of an extension joint H and thisadjustment may provide for a very wide limit if desired. Where metersare however made of uniform standard size there would be no callforthese adjusting features.

As the inlet and outlet connections B C in the coupling head do notcommunicate with eachother the connecting portion may be formed solidand of any desirable cross section and while I consider itpreierable tocast the whole head in one piece to avoid multiplication of joints whichmay form sources ofleakage, it is obvious that the bar may be composedof separate parts rigidly connected together. 7

It will be understood that the coupling head maybe installed with thepiping and the meter afterwards connected to it, but which ever way thework is done, there is no lead pipe needed to make the connections andwhatever strain the service and supply pipes may be subjected to themeter couplings will not be affected thereby. I

I have shown the coupling head as having the inlet and outletconnections formed in axial line therewith, but it is obvious that theymay be formed at any angle thereto without altering my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim is:-

1. The combination with a gas meter provided with inlet and outletconnections on top thereof, of a coupling head provided with hollowends, service and supply pipes above the top of the meter and couplingstuds at the ends of the coupling head projectlng downwardly andregistering with the inlet and outlet ofthe meter, said coupling studscommunicating through the hollow ends of the coupling head with theservice and supply pipes respectively and providedat their lower endswith coupling members to which the inlet and outlet of the meter areconnected respectively.

2. The combination with the gas meter provided with inlet and outletconnections on top thereof, otn coupling head provided with hollow ends,service and supply pipes connected to said hollow ends and supportingthe coupling head in a horizontal plane adjacent to the top of themeter, coupling studs screw-threaded into the coupling head at rightangles thereto and projecting downwardly, said coupling studsregistering with the inlet and outlet connections of the meter andcommunicating through the hollow endsof the coupling head with theservice and supply pipes respectively and coupling nuts at the lower endoi the coupling studs adapted to detachably connect the meter inlet andoutlet with said studs.

3. The combination with a gas meter provided with inlot and outletconnections on top thereof, of a coupling head provided with interiorlyscrew-threaded hollow ends, the intermediate portion of the couplinghead being solid,' service and supply pipes screw-threaded into thehollow ends and supporting the coupling head in a horizontal planeadjacent to the top of the meter and coupling, studs at the oppositeends of the coupling head adapted to he adjusted to register accuratelywith the inlet and outlet connections of the meter, said coupling studscommunicating through the hollow ends of the coupling head with theservice and supply pipes respectively and provided at their lower endswith coupling members adapted to detachably connect the inlet and outletconnections of the meter to said coupling studs.

4. in combination. with the meter having inlet and outlet and with thesupply and service pipes of the meter, a rigid coupling head formed withopenings in its opposite ends to which the supply and service pipes arerespectively connected, coupling studs at the ends of the coupling headcommunicating with the supply and service pipes respectively through theopenings in the coupling head and co operating coupling members at themeter inlet and outlet ,detachabiy connecting the same to the couplingstuds,

said coupling studs formed with axial offsets adapted to adjust the samein relation to the inlet and outlet of the meter.

In testimony whereof I niiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.t

, GARNET W. McKi il i. Witnesses Omrun i l. BAu'rnEL, O'r'ro l llAurnuL.

